Ethanol is making a point that Big Oil is receiving subsidies and ethanol isn't

Ethanol is holding one huge, sarcastic birthday party for Big Oil in celebration of its oldest subsidy enacted 100 years ago.

The 100th birthday for oil's oldest subsidy -- which began in 1913 -- will be prepared by the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA), which promotes Iowa ethanol and biodiesel growth, and the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE), which encourages the production and use of ethanol.

“And it dawned on us a few months ago that this is in fact the 100th birthday for oil subsidies and this calls for a party, and I think people can assume our tongues are firmly planted in our cheeks when we say we’re going to celebrate that fact,” said Monte Shaw, executive director of IRFA.

Why is the ethanol industry doing this? According to Shaw, the ethanol blenders tax credit expired in 2011, and ethanol has been forced to continue on without any help. However, Big Oil, which is already the most profitable industry in the world, still receives subsidies. The oldest, continuous subsidy was enacted in 1913, which is the topic of the birthday party.

“What we’re saying is, they’re there," said Shaw. "And we’re sick and tired of members of Congress who don’t know any better or don’t want to know any better, saying, oh, why do you need the RFS? Why do you this, why do you need that? Can’t you just compete on a level playing field? When the fact of the matter is, our competition has had 100 years of subsidization. They’ve had nearly 40 years of a petroleum mandate written into federal law that says unless you drive a flex-fuel vehicle, you will purchase gasoline with a minimum amount of petroleum (85% percent of petroleum). The playing field is overwhelmingly tilted to the oil industry and that has got to be a part of all discussions around the RFS."

The RFS is the Renewable Fuel Standard, which is a U.S. federal program that requires transportation fuel to have a certain amount of renewable fuels when sold in the U.S.

The birthday party, called "Century of Subsidies," will be held on Thursday, March 14, 2013 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at 430 Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington DC.

quote:Your way might be better. It has never been tried before, who knows. It could also be a catastrophic failure (even worse than what we exist with now).

You are using the same argument the slave owners used 150 years ago: Who would work on the cotton fields if we abandon the slavery, human society existed with slavery for thousands of years, how would we do with out it.

Nevertheless, human society evolved beyond forcing people to work for free and collectively decided that slavery is morally wrong, and only then it was abandoned regardless of the uncertainty of how the the hard work would be done without slaves. The same way I hope forcing people to give out fruits of their labor "for the benefits of the collective" will also be abandoned in the future because humanity will realize that using force even for the greater good is IMMORAL and doesn't justify the end result. I'm not against taxation, as long as it is voluntary and not done with a force or a threat of force.

You are comparing your life with the life of a slave?!?! You have to be f*cking kidding me!!! That is by far the most ridiculous thing I have heard in recent memory.

Your situation and a slave's situation from 150 years ago share no similarities. It is such a ridiculous comparison I don't even know where to start.

I'll just say this: as I've clearly explained, you are FREE to not participate in your country's "oppressive" society. You can LEAVE. You have that FREEDOM (not a word that slaves get to use). The fact that you don't think there is anywhere suitable to go is not the fault or responsibility of the country that gives you that freedom. You are forced to do nothing. For this reason, taxes are neither theft, a breach of your freedom, nor immoral. You are mistaken my friend.

I'm all for reducing spending, reducing taxes, reducing government, but your stance seems indefensible and comparing yourself to a black slave of the 1800s is absolutely atrocious and does not help your case. You are not persecuted, beat, chained, or murdered because of the color of your skin. You are given a choice to live in a community where we give a portion of our labor for the benefit of that community. If you don't want to be a part of that community, then you are absolutely allowed to leave. There are no chains here, you will not be killed for treason.